The concept of YAL's North Carolina Campaign Bootcamp was to train youth activists with the best political tactics available. We aimed to convey that the philosophy of liberty is a winning message, but that liberty alone cannot win elections.

Accordingly, for 1.5 days, we engaged students with intense campaign training that covered everything from canvassing, phone banking, messaging strategy, get-out-the-vote (GOTV) strategy, and much, much more! YAL members described the event as "the most educational yet inspirational event" they've ever had the opportunity to partake in.

After the intense training, we gave students lists of every single campaign listed for federal and state legislative office so students could mobilize in the field to work for the campaign of their choice. This hands-on experience allowed them to take their training and test it in the real world of politics.

After each day, we reconveined for group discussion for Q&A sessions where students could reflect on their work in the field and diagnose what was wrong with the campaigns and what they were doing right.

At the end of the event, each and every student had a confidently look about them that gleamed: "I can and will take on the world for liberty."

Stories:

I must admit after day one of the field work I was even pretty exhausted. Why?

Because my phone would not stop ringing off the hook!

Yes, I was receiving phone calls from all over the North Carolina by campaigns, candidates, and party officials telling me how amazing our students were.

"I was blown away by not only how professional YAL members were, but also by the level of campaign knowledge they possessed [...] it was like working with seasoned campaign consultents," said one North Carolina politico who saw our YAL members in the field.

In fact, I had multiple people tell me that YAL students were more well-versed in campaign strategy than even the campaigns they were working for themselves!

How about this for success: A group of students went to volunteer for a candidate in Raleigh to phonebank, making over 4,700 phone calls in just one day!

I was then told that those students had broken the record for the most campaign calls made in a single day this election cycle in NC!

YAL members after the bootcamp are a force to be reckoned with.

After amassing the totals from all the various students and teams that worked for the campaigns of their choice, the results schocked me.

Our 40 students canvassed, door knocked, and lit-dropped on over 2,500 homes.

Our 40 students also phone banked and made over 7,500 phone calls!

Can you believe it? Forty students personally reached-out to over 10,000 North Carolina voters!

As a resident of North Carolina, I can assure you that the state felt our presence. Voters and individuals across the state were contacting me to thank YAL for our work and for giving the students such an amazing opportunity.

Even better, I received nothing but accolades about our students. Not a single one of them had a negative experience, nor did I receive a single complaint by or against a YAL member.

In short, I want to thank everyone for such an amazing event. It's the power of liberty manifested in events like these that give me hope for the future of our republic.

With Young Americans for Liberty leading the charge, I am convinced the next generation of freedom fighters will have a lasting effect on our nation.

What may be the most amazing thing about the event, however, was the fact that Young Americans for Liberty was able to go from concept to completion in less than three weeks.

If that's not efficiency, I don't know what is!

From here, we expect to broaden the program so YAL can set up many more campaign bootcamps across the United States to train and mobilize youth activists committed to "winning on principle."

Again, I want to send my sincerest thank you to all of the participants and especially YAL's supporters.

Without your support, winning on principle would just be an idea, not a reality.